Chapter 42
Command
In a canyon close to the mountainous peninsula in the far northeast, Wartortle and Quil convened with Hayzin and the twenty-six Pokémon at his back. Twenty-six. Twenty-six. Wartortle could scarcely believe that Row had returned with so many, when he'd only asked for some reinforcements. Had the Resistance grown so large that twenty-six bodies could be spared from the efforts based in Cavetown?
Hayzin came to a stop wearing a pleased smiled at Wartortle and Quil's reaction. "Hello Quil, and hello-"
"Hi you two!" Viper interrupted. She flung herself over Hayzin to land coiled around them both, squeezing them lightly together. Her red eyes looked down at them above a fanged smile as her tongue flicked out every few seconds.
When she uncoiled, Bein and Loria also approached to greet them in a much more soft-spoken manner. Behind the Cubone and Riolu, a crowd looked on. Most were amused, many curious, and some even looked to be studying Wartortle and Quil as if it were their first time seeing them. As if they were getting their first look at a celebrity in person.
Wartortle didn't know what to say. He felt overwhelmed. Twenty-six. Quil was also speechless. A round of light chuckling swept through the assembled Pokémon. Even Bein's eyes crinkled in his helmet's eye sockets.
"More of you came than I expected," Wartortle finally managed, inciting a couple more chuckles.
"Row said you two view this as a singular mission," Hayzin said. "As such, the Resistance decided to treat it as an urgent request of top importance. We've all come prepared to help as best as we can."
"This is the entire Resistance?" Quil asked with disbelief.
Viper's head swung to and fro beside Hayzin as she said, "Yeah! You made it sound like this was the most bligging important mission ever, so we brought literally everything and everyone we possibly could."
"I can't believe it," said Wartortle.
"We can see that," Bein grunted.
"Thanks!" Quil chirped. "Thank you all so much. This really is the most important mission ever. We're going to fix everything. Wartortle, we should meet everyone and thank them, since the Resistance came all this way."
Wartortle nodded. Soon, he might be commanding the small force. If he was going to be putting the Resistance in danger, he owed every one of them an introduction at the minimum. Judging by many of their curious gazes, he'd actually be doing them a favor by personally introducing himself along with Quil.
The process ate up half an hour, but it was enjoyable. Wartortle felt that getting to know everyone who had come would help him strategize later on, too. The current members of the Resistance were a motley crew. Every Type was represented at least once. Some Pokémon were as small as Bein, but there was a Serperior longer than Viper. Many explained how honored they felt to be meeting the founders of the Resistance, and expressed their anticipation at fighting side by side. Many, however, appeared underwhelmed by the Wartortle and Quilava that stood before them.
The only familiar faces were Hayzin, Viper, Bein, Loria, and Row. The others were new. He met a Gengar wearing his perpetual grin, a brooding Scyther who almost looked like he'd rather be somewhere else, an Absol who slashed at Wartortle with zealous force during the introduction as if testing him, a shy Bulbasaur, a nameless Beartic and Sealeo who called themselves the Twins for some unfathomable reason, a rather vapid Pikachu, a Togetic with a fierce gleam in her eyes that left Wartortle feeling unsettled, and so many more.
After meeting a Machoke named Choppa, Bein spoke up from beside the Fighting-type.
"Remember the building partner I mentioned once or twice? Choppa. Finally found the idiot." Choppa aimed a playful kick at Bein in return as Wartortle and Quil lit up at the news.
The Machoke laughed once, saying, "Not my fault you'd left Karprest by the time I got back there. Not my fault that Luxio scared you away. A Zapper scaring away a Grounder, ha!" His voice reminded Wartortle of people in his old life who would spend all their free time in weight rooms and gymnasiums.
Quil was about to say something but Bein was already responding to Choppa. "Get this. He heads for Karprest after finishing his 'training excursion', misses me by a day. So he decides to go right back to the mountains. Found him lifting rocks on the eastern side of Cradle Vale on the way here."
Wartortle was fascinated by the transformation in Bein. He'd never heard such casual good humor from the Cubone. Bein was being...playful. Was that even possible? Choppa responded with no hint of offense taken, as if the two exchanged banter like this often.
"A 'mon's got to do something between battles. These muscles aren't going to build themselves, Bein. What if our next job is to build a house out of granite? You'll be thanking me for the time I spent training. Crying from how grateful you are, I bet."
Bein let out a rumbling grunt, like a moan. "This 'mon. You believe him?"
Wartortle and Quil exchanged a look and shared a laugh. "He's right, Bein," said Quil. "I don't know if you can manage any heavy lifting without Choppa doing all the work."
He ducked and scampered away to the next 'mon to meet as Bein swung his bone at the Quilava's head.
When all of the introductions had been finished, Wartortle decided they'd better explain to everyone the situation in full. Row hadn't received the full picture, so the Resistance would not know either. All the Pokémon present sorted themselves into a circle around Wartortle and Quil so that everyone could see. Quil took it away.
"Again, thank you all so much for coming. When I'm done talking, I know you'll all see why I'm so grateful, as well as why it's so important that you're here. Some of you are going to think Wartortle and I have somehow been permanently Confused, but what I'm saying is the truth. Let me finish the whole thing before we discuss, please."
He told them of heading north to Iyrodenin. Of finding not only Moltres, but also Victini in conversation. Predictably, many in the crowd scoffed, but they held their tongues as requested. He talked about what the talisman looked like, and Victini's ability to make himself invisible. Wartortle took over when Quil was knocked out, doing his best to share the experience of taking the talisman's power into his body and battling Moltres in the crater and in the open sky. Quil continued from when Moltres talked about the analogy of Wooper lake and the influence of the Legendary Birds. Heads in the crowd nodded in understanding of the concept, and again when Wartortle explained why only moves had been boosted instead of a Pokémon's entire being.
Quil told them all of Wartortle's deception to keep Victini in the vicinity of Iyrodenin while they traveled to Articuno's domain, but he faltered when he came to the conversation with Victini himself. Wartortle elegantly moved the story retelling past the dialogue about the lives of Tristan Pratts and Brayden Lester. The Resistance did not need to know about humanity, Victini's motivations, or his relationship with Victini. If they mentioned any of that, Wartortle and Quil would be in the canyon all day trying to get the Resistance to believe them. The necessity of hiding the full truth from the Pokémon who had come so far and placed their faith in them did not stop Wartortle from feeling guilty. Nevertheless, all the Resistance needed to know was that Victini was causing the boosts via his Victini abilities. Not who the Pokémon really was or why he was doing it.
Quil then relayed the moment of the Fire-boost, with Moltres circling the volcanic rim during the eruption. After a quick summary of their travels from Iyrodenin to the canyon where they now stood, the story was over. The Pokémon of the Resistance immediately began asking questions. Some were elaborations of the simple question 'Really?', but some were more insightful. Quil and Wartortle answered most questions confidently, like "How fast can Victini and Moltres fly?", "How big was Moltres?", and "Is it true that Nape started his bank because of you?", but others were more difficult to respond to, like "Do you think Victini believed your lie about hiding near Iyrodenin?", and "How can we win against a Legendary Pokémon?"
By the end of the question and answer session, Wartortle felt they had successfully banished the skepticism that the Resistance initially had about Victini and the Legendary Birds. These Pokémon had accepted his and Quil's words more readily than he'd expected. It showed that these were the Pokémon who had open minds enough to trek all the way here, and it showed that the Pokémon of the Resistance had faith in the two who had started it all. If any doubt remained, it wouldn't last long when they all met Articuno at the tip of the peninsula.
There was little else that needed to be said. A battle plan needed to be formulated, but that could be done on the move. What that battle plan would almost definitely entail, however, was Pokémon taking orders from Wartortle. He could see no other way. Every advantage counted, and he'd seen time and time again how his tactical approach to Pokémon battling had secured him a victory. Whether alone or with Quil, fighting on a level above instinctive use of one's moves was a great help. The Resistance would need that help if they hoped to win against a boosted Articuno.
So, Wartortle decided he had better okay that notion with the Pokémon around him before they all got moving toward the peninsula. He took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Our mission is to find Articuno on that peninsula, snatch the talisman causing the Ice boost, wait for Victini to show up, then ambush him. He's the ultimate source of the boosts, and thus our ultimate target. The details of how all that is going to happen can be worked out while we make our way to where Articuno roosts. But before we go I want to make something clear. Those of you that have been with me to Blindhollow and Karprest, you know this. Everyone else, you've probably heard about it."
Time to turn up the bravado to 11. This isn't what I actually think, but it's the best way to ensure that they'll listen to me. Which in turn ensures we have the best chance of succeeding.
"I am not like other Pokémon. I do not think, talk, or behave like other Pokémon. You will hear me use expressions that you have never heard. You probably already have. You will hear me raising ideas that no one has ever imagined before. That's one reason the Resistance even got started in the first place. It's part of why Team Base looks and functions as it does. Most importantly, you will hear me calling out orders in battle. You will hear me, and you must obey. We will need every advantage possible to be successful on this mission. Compliance with the strategies I employ before and during the confrontation will be the greatest advantage we have. Keep your ears open, and we'll win. Understood?"
The gathered Pokémon looked around at each other. A few murmured conversations broke out. Wartortle did not miss the sneer on the face of the Gabite named Gareen, nor the leer he received from the Drowzee named Mahow. Understandable. Humans did not like being told what to do, so a culture wherein everyone fought all the time would only nurture larger egos.
The Gengar of the Resistance, called Keng, stepped forward from the circle. His voice was smoothly confident with a demeaning edge.
"Listen Wartortle, we're all happy ya started the Resistance. And yeh, we're glad you asked Row for our help and told us what you know about the boosts. But, ehhh, you're just a Wartortle. I don't want to battle ya in front of everyone, but I'd win easy. I should be the one in charge. We need a 'mon like me who can lead us against Articuno and do some actual damage. Sorry, 'tortle."
Wartortle closed his eyes for a moment. Ever since Stolt's tour of Karprest, I've tried to be more humble. Less intimidating, if that's what I was. I really have. Now though, we don't need that Wartortle. We need a leader stronger than steel. I will atone for what I've done. I will end these boosts. This Gengar isn't going to stop me.
He opened his eyes. So much for humility.
"You should be in charge, Keng? I see. Well, tell me your plans. I'd love to hear them, really. We all would. How are we going to defeat Articuno of the Legendary Birds, and then capture another Legendary that can fly and become invisible? Go ahead, Keng."
Evidently the Gengar was not expecting such a response from him. He did not sit back down, but neither did he say anything further. Keng scratched his face, glancing at the Pokémon across the circle. Wartortle saw them staring back with interest.
"I hope it's a fantastic plan," Wartortle continued, "since this isn't a normal Pokémon we're up against. In fact, it's not even a Pokémon wielding a boosted element. This is a Legendary Pokémon. A Legendary Pokémon with the power of another Legendary Pokémon inside it. Victini's power." He took a step closer to Keng. "What do you have in mind for us Keng? What are we going to do that will ensure the success of the mission?"
Keng's bluster was not so easily defeated. "Heh, you were right when ya said you're not like other 'mon, 'tortle. Who needs plans? Articuno will faint like every other 'mon if we all attack at once. There's twenty-nine of us. I counted. Numbers will let us win, like in ehhh-very other battle. You think I'm wrong?"
"Truly, a brilliant idea Keng. If we all attack together, we can all be frozen solid together. All at the same time. That way, no one will feel left out." He made a show of shaking his head. "We've seen how powerful the moves of Ice-types are now. We've all felt the cold, even when we were nowhere near the move. Imagine how powerful the moves of Articuno will be. The embodiment of ice itself. I would know, because I battled Moltres on the peak of Iyrodenin with Quil. I know from experience how strong the Legendary Birds are. I know how they fight, and I will use that knowledge to help us win against Articuno. If we all rush in at once, it'll make Articuno's job easy. I already figured that one out a while ago."
Wartortle did not know that the Gengar species was capable of frowning, but Keng's grin did indeed turn downward at the ends to become a frown. Still, he would not sit down.
Quil raised his voice to the circle. "I've traveled at Wartortle's side since before we started the Resistance. I used to think it was bizarre and unnecessary when he talked during battles or asked me to use moves in strange ways. I used to wonder why he wouldn't fight like everyone else. Now I understand. Wartortle's careful planning is what let us take back Blindhollow. His dedication to strategy is what got us this far."
Wartortle dared not show any softness on his face, but he was touched by his friend's words.
"Wartortle will make this mission a success, and Krow's luck to anyone in his way. You 'mon who have traveled with him in the past, do you agree?"
Hayzin, Viper, and even Bein and Loria all lent their voices to a bestial cheer. Wartortle could not resist as a grateful smile split his face.
"Pokémon of the Resistance," he said, "make your choice. Will you fight with me when the time comes?"
Every Pokémon in the circle cried out. Keng slumped back down in his spot.
"When the time comes, are you prepared to fight at my side against Legendary Pokémon?"
The Resistance yelled to show their willingness. The cry echoed off the walls of the canyon, sounding like far more than twenty-nine Pokémon. Wartortle slowly turned to eye each and every one of them with a severe expression.
"Are you ready to defy the legends by putting an end to these unnatural boosts once and for all?"
Wartortle could see Quil's ears fold back against the roar of sound as the Resistance shouted its defiance to the world. The Pokémon were on their feet now. He let the smile return to his face.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" He strode southeast toward the base of the peninsula ahead. The Pokémon at the circle's edge stood aside to let him pass through. As he did, the Resistance broke formation and hastened to follow behind him.
At Wartortle's request, Hayzin gathered all the item-toting Pokémon as they walked. Viper was the one wearing the second pack that Wartortle had had custom ordered in Cavetown after the events of Blindhollow. Two others in the Resistance also carried packs, though these were little more than plain sacks with a single carrying strap. Wartortle sifted through the contents of all three, mentally tabulating all of the items at his disposal for the mission.
Much of what the Resistance had brought was provisions. Enough food to feed an army which, Wartortle supposed, wasn't too far from the truth. The rest of the items gave him plenty of food for thought. For many of them, he had to ask what their purpose was. Added to the supplies Quil still carried, he finally had his full list. Four Oran Berries, one Chesto Berry, one Sleep Seed, one Totter Seed, three Blast Seeds, the Detect Band, the Defense Scarf, and a purple cloth called a Zinc Band. The Zinc Band was reported to raise one's resistance to elemental techniques; it was sure to come in handy against Articuno. The Sleep Seed and Totter Seed were the kind of seed with a delicate membrane that would rupture upon impact with a Pokémon to release their chemicals, inflicting a sudden slumber and disorientation respectively. Wartortle doubted the seeds would work against a Legendary Pokémon, especially given how quickly Moltres had healed from the battle, but they were worth a shot.
"The last mission I attended," Hayzin said as Wartortle looked through one of the sacks, "we discovered that the Oran Berry is especially useful. We have been purchasing and stockpiling them in this last week. Now we have four."
"They sure are incredible," Wartortle agreed. "I fed one to Quil after our battle with Moltres. It's amazing how fast they work, isn't it?"
Hayzin nodded. "How do you plan to make use of our inventory?"
"Still working on that one. I'll let you know when we're closer so we can all discuss it together. Like old times."
A smile touched the Zekstrika's muzzle. "Like old times. You use the strangest expressions, Wartortle. That's coming from someone who's done a great deal of traveling."
Wartortle dropped his gaze. "I'll work on that plan." When he looked up again, Hayzin had fallen back into the larger mass of the Resistance.
I'd better tell them everything once this is all over, he thought. They deserve to know the truth behind the Wartortle issuing orders. Especially the ones who have been with Quil and I since near the beginning: Bein, Hayzin, and Viper.
The rest of the day passed by rapidly for Wartortle. His thoughts occupied almost his full attention. He felt like a trainer on his way to the stadium for the region's championship match, and his opponent was the best in the world thirty years running. The other problem was he'd only just finished reading the rules of the competition and the advice for beginners, and now he was expected to earn his team the victory against the best of the best. Still, Wartortle believed in himself. He knew he could do it, but that victory would require very, very clever thinking.
He imagined the scenario turning out a hundred possible ways. He mentally organized the members of the Resistance and their items into different arrangements, trying to calculate how the results would be different each time. He double-checked, then triple-checked. Could he be absolutely sure of every logical leap he was making? His planning needed to be perfect. Everyone was relying on him. Everyone would suffer if he failed. Not only here, but Pokémon everywhere with problems related to the boost.
How tough would a boosted Legendary actually be? What was the geography of Articuno's roost? Would the Pokémon of the Resistance abide by his commands? What moves were known by Articuno, and what were their effects? So many unknowns. He worked with what he knew and hoped it would be enough.
Some of his questions could fortunately be answered by the Pokémon around him. Questions about the strengths and weaknesses of the Ice element, and the Type web in general. Questions about the moves known by the Resistance capable of inflicting conditions. He was in the midst of a discussion with a Mawile named Wily when the Resistance passed by a wild Mienfoo.
"And this Metal Burst technique," Wartortle was asking Wily. "Does it work every time?"
The Mienfoo jumped at the Resistance's Absol with its knee raised to deliver a kick. The combat was happening only a few feet ahead of Wartortle and the Mawile. Wily said, "No, no it doesn't. It works more often when the attack used against me isn't very strong."
The moment the Mienfoo landed its kick, three bodies slammed into it, taking it out of Wartortle's field of vision. A flurry of spinning leaves and an onslaught of rocks followed the Mienfoo and its aggressors out of sight.
"Shame," Wartortle said. "Have you tried it against a boosted Pokémon's moves?"
A flash of light and some Pokémon's shriek came from behind as Wily replied, "Yes. My Metal Burst once worked against some Zapper's bolt. I was barely conscious enough to see her go down as well."
Wartortle glanced behind. The Pokémon involved in the battle returned to the rest, leaving behind a very unconscious Mienfoo. "That's good news," he said. "Please try that Metal Burst against Articuno. If you get it to work, it'll make the battle a whole lot easier."
"Understood, Wartortle!"
He nodded and increased his pace to catch up to Hayzin. Cloud cover was rolling in. Hopefully it wouldn't rain or snow. "Hayzin, do you know of any Pokémon here with moves that affect a very large area? A move like the electricity you were using during the Blindhollow battle, but even larger range?"
"Ah, the Twins can help you. I've seen them use a technique that is exactly what you're looking for."
"The Beartic and Sealeo?" Wartortle said as Hayzin led them further back through the crowd. "They can't be siblings, they're not even..." He trailed off, not wanting to be disrespectful, as they reached the Twins walking side by side.
Hayzin explained what Wartortle had asked about, and the two Ice-types were eager to help. Once they told Wartortle what they could do, he agreed with Hayzin that these two would be perfect.
"Excellent. After we reach Articuno, I have a special task for you two, and you two alone. I know your moves are boosted, but please try to stay safe in the battle. Yours is perhaps the most important role of all. We should have enough time afterward to prepare, but you never know. We can't afford to take any chances."
After discussing the particulars with the Twins and receiving their agreement to do as he asked, the day was mostly spent. The Resistance had made it to where the mainland extended into the peninsula. Wartortle called for a halt at sunset. He still needed time to delineate his plans for all the Resistance to hear. As day passed into night, Wartortle called to his side Quil, Bein, Viper, Hayzin, and Loria. They all had experience acting as a sounding board for his plans, and they were a small enough group that a discussion was possible. They appeared to agree with the direction his mind had taken him. After a few fine adjustments, Wartortle stood before the rest of the Resistance before the hour grew too late. Quil was right beside him, ready to back him up if needed.
"Everyone, you've seen that this peninsula isn't very long. We'll be able to reach Articuno before tomorrow night. I know what I'm about to ask of you is not how most of you normally fight. Although maybe you Dark-types are different? Anyway, I propose a stealthy approach to Articuno. We'll avoid battling Articuno until after we've taken away the talisman."
To his deep relief, there was no uproar. He continued with greater confidence. "That will make the fight much, much easier. The talisman looks like a rock on a cord, probably being worn around Articuno's neck. We'll come in at night and sneak very close. Moltres isn't nocturnal, so neither is Articuno. One of you, to whom I have already spoken, will slip the talisman off while Articuno is asleep. I'm certain that Articuno will then wake up and we'll have a battle on our hands. Without the talisman though, our victory against Articuno is assured."
Many of the gathered Pokémon seemed confused by the strategy, as if they couldn't wrap their heads around encountering their target but not immediately battling. At least his core team members had faith in him.
Wartortle pushed forward to the gritty tactical details of the plan. The formation he wanted the Resistance in as they approached the Legendary. The roles each and every one of them was to fill. Who would be using offensive techniques. Who would be carrying and utilizing items. Who would be taking blows from the Articuno, whenever possible, to protect the boosted Pokémon present. In some ways, this battle plan was the culmination of everything Wartortle had learned about battling as a Pokémon. He recalled Bein absorbing Raizula's Electric attacks. Developing Ember Arc and other tactics with Quil. Using a Blast Seed to defeat a Pidgeotto. Circling around Moltres to flank her. The wisdom from all the experiences he'd had in all the different sorts of battles in his time on Preserve Alpha was being used for this final strategy. All told, Wartortle was confident in what he'd come up with. It was bound to work.
This time, it wouldn't be like Karprest. This was a black and white issue. Articuno's talisman was the source of the Ice boost. It needed to be removed. Articuno would obviously wish to keep the talisman, thus Articuno needed to be battled. Wartortle was more than ready to give this battle his all. There would be no doubt here, no hesitation. Wartortle had become a Pokémon to reverse the damage that Victini had done. Here, he would atone.
"We'll make our move on Articuno in the very early morning hours the day after tomorrow. Once we've won the battle, the hard part will be over. We'll need to keep Articuno subdued when, inevitably, the Legendary struggles to take the talisman back. Then we need only wait for Victini to come after noticing that Ice is no longer boosted. I'll lay out my plans for that ambush after this battle. Hopefully time allows. Does anyone have any questions?"
The Pokémon who had none were soon dispersing to find a good spot to rest. Wartortle stayed up for another hour, clarifying the details for certain members of the Resistance. Most of the queries pertained to what exactly Wartortle wanted them to do in the battle. Despite his growing fatigue, Wartortle was happy to work with each confused Pokémon to ensure they were prepared to enter the battlefield with confidence. At last the questions ended. Except for Quil, Wartortle was the last Pokémon to head to bed. The Quilava had stayed awake by his side in case he needed a second opinion, which did happen a couple of times. Other than Wartortle himself, no one knew better how Wartortle's mind worked. His head was still spinning with schemes and stratagems as Wartortle dropped off to sleep in his shell.
The next day was wrought with unspoken tension. Everyone knew that the following day would see their mission ended in great success or utter failure. There would be no in-between. The Resistance trekked directly north through the mountainous country of the peninsula. By midday, they'd covered enough miles to view the sea both east and west of the tapering peninsula. Far to the west, Wartortle imagined he could point to the inlet marking the ruins of Port Rein. The thick snowfall disallowed an actual line of sight, however.
The overcast skies had, unfortunately, given birth to a snowstorm. For a Pokémon, being out in the open was an inconvenience as opposed to a severe health concern, but Wartortle still wished they would have had clear weather for the final approach. He held his tail close to his shell-back as the strong winds whipped falling snowflakes to and fro. The storm was worst when their route took them along cliffside paths high up in the mountains. Everyone got a breather during the low segments close to sea level, then everyone braced themselves for each ascent back into the howling winds and chilling snowfall. Everyone except the Twins, the only Ice-types present. They looked to be loving the snowstorm. Poor Gareen the Gabite was having the worst time of anyone. Wartortle had half a mind to ask Quil to use Ember on the Dragon-type to warm him up, but he feared insulting the Pokémon's dignity.
Weather, haven't you ever heard of the calm before the storm? Wartortle thought as he tramped through a patch of fresh snow on the rock. Tomorrow's the big day, not today. I suppose since we're approaching Articuno's domain, it probably snows often. I wonder if that's because of Articuno's presence, or if Articuno chose to roost here because of the local rate of snowfall.
The mountains closer to the peninsula's end were unlike any Wartortle had ever seen. The rock pointed sharply out of the earth at angles, like broken pieces of bone emerging from skin. The mountains were jagged, with innumerable sharp points. The snowfall did nothing to pad the edges, as it ended up nestling in the crevices and hidden parts of the mountain range. Sheer, bare rock was everywhere. Like the Ice element, these mountains were cold, hard, and bleak.
Ice itself was in abundance. Everywhere Wartortle might look, there were large formations of ice dotting the landscape. Here a massive spur of blue-white ice, there a line of smaller ice spikes like stalagmites. He could not tell if these were the sites of Ice-type moves in the past, now frozen into eternal monuments in these cold mountains, or if ice storms in months and years gone by had resulted in the icy structures. Possibly Articuno had intentionally created them as thematic decoration. Wartortle settled on that hypothesis, as it brought him a modicum of warm amusement in the frigid land.
At times, the best path forward led them into the cloud cover, a lifeless world of swirling mists and icy wind. Wartortle, with the help of the other Pokémon in the lead, had to trust his sense of direction to keep them on course. One minute they might be walking on solid rock, the next, on massive spears of ice extruding from the mountain side. Wartortle could see the reflection of his face in the semi-translucent ice beneath his feet. Then they'd be walking down a rocky mountainside, or leaping across a crevasse.
The snowstorm passed in the later hours of the afternoon, though the cold and the clouds lingered. The frequency of the ice formations increased closer to the peninsular tip. The mountains were rife with ice crystals growing out of the slopes. Many of the mountainsides had large patches of slick ice that rendered the terrain impassable. Even the occasional arch of ice bridged two nearby mountains at the lower elevations. Here, the peninsula was very narrow, only two or three miles across. Finally, sequestered in the shadows of a larger mountain an hour before nightfall, Wartortle called for the march to end for the day. They were close enough to the end of the peninsula that the Resistance would easily be able to reach it given another hour or two of hiking. The final approach would happen early in the morning of the next day, or very late that night, depending on how one looked at it. That way, Articuno would not spot them coming, and everyone would be rested for the main event.
Wartortle advised the Resistance to get some early shut-eye, as they'd be getting up well before daybreak to get the jump on Articuno. After the cold and tiring hike through the storm, most of them eagerly took him up on that advice. Wartortle joined them in huddling close for warmth. Like the assemblage in Swanna's lodge on his first night as a Squirtle, the Pokémon of the Resistance now formed more or less a huge pile of packed bodies.
The morning arrived all too quickly. He was uncommonly slow in rousing himself and emerging from his shell. Grogginess congested his mind as he tried to recall why he had to get up so early. Even once the Resistance was up and moving toward the last segment of the hike, Wartortle struggled with his sleep inertia. The movements of the Pokémon around him were also, for the most part, sluggish and disoriented.
Pokémon may have extraordinary capabilities that far exceed those of humans, but we sure need our rest, Wartortle thought. I could sleep sundown to sunup every night, easily.
The cloud cover had receded some, though an early morning mist pervaded the mountains. The open sea to the east did not yet hint at the glow of a sunrise. The night had free rein. Fortunately, the moon was full where it hung a few degrees above the western horizon. Its wan light had a ghostly quality when it shone down on the craggy landscape of rock and ice. Wartortle could see a hundred instances of the moon reflected in the frozen patches and crystalline structures all around.
As the Resistance traversed a pass high up in the mountains, Wartortle had his first glimpse of Articuno's roost. The peninsula ended less than a mile ahead from the pass. Some thousand feet lower in altitude, he spotted an exposed plateau made purely of ice. Even though it was night, and the misty clouds still flowed among the peaks to obscure the details of the terrain, Wartortle could tell it was ice by the way he caught moonlight glistening off its multifaceted surface. It looked to be about two hundred feet in diameter, but the clouds and darkness made it impossible to see in full. The raised plateau was clearly constructed; he had not yet seen any ice structure so large nor so precisely defined. This was the centerpiece of the entire peninsula.
I wouldn't call it a 'fortress', like Rytos and Moltres both said, though it's certainly very defensible.
The only way onto the plateau, other than flight, was a plain bridge of white ice leading from the plateau's nearest edge to the mountainside down below. The descent would be brief, leaving plenty of time before sunrise. With the entirety of the Resistance at his back, Wartortle descended the cold slope of the mountain toward the icy bridge below.
Articuno of the Legendary Birds was in for a rude awakening.